Antirrhinum plant named ‘Balumdelo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Antirrhinum plant named ‘Balumdelo’, characterized by its dark yellow flowers, mounded and trailing habit, and dark green leaves.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Anthirrhinum majus.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Balumdelo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct Antirrhinum plant,botanically known as Antirrhinum majus, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Balumdelo’. The new cultivar was developed by theinventor through a controlled breeding program during 1998 at ArroyoGrande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was the developmentof Antirrhinum cultivars with mounded trailing habit, continuousflowering, excellent basal branching and small, dark green leaves.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balumdelo’ was the proprietary Antirrhinumbreeding selection designated 445-1, which exhibits a semi-trailinghabit, lavender and yellow bicolor flowers and medium green foliage. Themale (pollen) parent of ‘Balumdelo’ was the proprietary Antirrhinumbreeding selection designated 488-3, which exhibits a vigorous trailinghabit, lavender flowers and dark green foliage. The new cultivar wasdiscovered as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of theabove stated cross in December 1999 and was initially designated 1606-1.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar has been carried out at ArroyoGrande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. by terminal tip cuttings and hasdemonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as hereindescribed are firmly fixed and retained through successive generationsof such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

(a) Exhibits dark yellow flowers;

(b) Forms dark green foliage;

(c) Exhibits a good basal branching character; and

(d) Exhibits a trailing growth habit.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to ‘Balumyell’(co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/808,089). Inside-by-side comparisons, ‘Balumdelo’ is more compact and differs inflower color from ‘Balumyell’. When compared to its sibling ‘Balumbreo’(co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/109,509),‘Balumdelo’ is found to be more compact and differs in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants weregrown for 12 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Balumdelo’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length. The chart used in theidentification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart ofThe Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The color values weredetermined on Apr. 18, 2001. The readings were taken between 1:00 and3:00 p.m. under natural daylight conditions. The plants were producedfrom cuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in a doublepolycarbonate covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown utilizing a soillessgrowth medium with temperatures of approximately 65° to 75° F. (18° to24° C.) during the day and approximately 50° to 55° F. (10° to 14° C.)during the night and light levels of 5,000 to 6,000 footcandles beingmaintained. Plants used for the following descriptions and measurementswere grown in 10 cm pots for 12 weeks from rooted cuttings.

Classification:

Botanical.—Antirrhinum majus cultivar ‘Balumdelo’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Antirrhinum selection designated 445-1.

Male parent.—Proprietary Antirrhinum selection designated 488-3.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal tip.

Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to 10 days.

Time to develop roots.—Approximately 14 to 21 days.

Root description.—Fibrous, branching.

Plant description:

Habit of growth.—Vigorous with good basal branching. Pinching improvesbasal branching. A mature plant, 12 weeks after the planting of a rootedcutting, measures approximately 10.5 cm in height and approximately 29.5cm in diameter with an average of 5.3 branches.

Form.—Mounded and trailing.

Stem.—Approximately 11.8 cm in length, 2 mm in diameter, denselypubescent and between 146A and 147A. Internode length is approximately1.4 cm.

Foliage.—Leaves are non-fragrant, single, opposite and at an acute angleto the stem. Leaves are ovate with entire margin, acute apex andattenuate base. Upper and lower surfaces are puberulent. Leaf length isapproximately 4 cm and width is approximately 2.5 cm. Upper surface ofmature foliage is 147A, lower surface of mature foliage is 147B. Bothupper and lower surfaces have pinnate venation closest to 144C. Petiolelength is approximately 7 mm, diameter is approximately 2 mm, surface ispuberulent and color is between 147A and 147B.

Flowering description:

Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.

Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse environment andspring through autumn in outdoor garden.

Lastingness of the bloom (on the plant).—Approximately ten days.

Flower arrangement.—Terminal racemes.

Peduncle.—Strong, glandular, at an acute angle to the stem,approximately 7 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter. Peduncle color is137C.

Flower bud.—Obovate, approximately 2.3 cm in length and 1.7 cm indiameter. Bud color is 145A. Texture is villous.

Flower description.—Flowers are bilabiate. The upper lip has two obovatelobes with rounded tips, entire margins, and attenuate bases. The lowerlip has three obovate lobes with rounded tips, entire margins, andattenuate bases. Flower length is approximately 3.3 cm and width isapproximately 2.3 cm. Color of fully open flowers: Upper surface ofupper lip is 1A with veins of 59B radiating from base. The upper surfaceof the lower lip is darker and more orange than 1A. The undersurface ofthe upper and lower lips is 162C with venation of 183D. The uppersurface of the palate is 155D. The undersurface of the palate is 1D.Inside throat is 155D with hairs of 155D. Outside throat is 155D withthe lower ½ of 1C.

Sepals.—Five, approximately 8 mm in length and 4 mm in width with acuteapex and entire margin. Both upper and lower surfaces are pubescent and137B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: There are 4 stamens-2 are approximately2 cm in length and 2 are approximately 1.3 cm in length. Anthers are 2mm in length and 16D in color. Pollen is abundant and color is 16C.Gynoecium: One pistil, 1.5 cm in length. Stigma is 3 mm in length andcolor is 154D. Style length is 8 mm and color is 7C just below thestigma and 154D just above the ovary. Ovary length is 4 mm, texture isdensely pubescent and color is 143B.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens has not been observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Antirrhinum plant named‘Balumdelo’ substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a)Exhibits dark yellow flowers; (b) Dark green foliage; (c) A good basalbranching character; and (d) A mounded and trailing growth habit.